Black Forest Cuckoo Clock — Hönes 8-Day, Swiss Music, 4 Movements

A large, fully animated Black Forest chalet cuckoo clock by Hönes Uhren GmbH of Titisee-Neustadt — the world market leader in original Black Forest cuckoo clocks, founded in 1950 and still producing entirely in the region. The carved linden wood case is finished in dark walnut stain and rendered as a traditional Alpine farmhouse: log-constructed lower walls, a deep-eaved shingled roof, flower-box balconies with hand-painted blossoms, curtained windows, a turning water wheel at left, and carved fir trees flanking the green-painted base shelf. Four synchronized movements activate on the hour — a cuckoo bird call powered by dual bellows, a rotating dancing couple on the upper balcony, two Bavarian figures clinking beer steins at the base tavern scene, and the water wheel. The black-painted dial carries Roman numerals in natural wood tone with matching carved wood hands, marked "Made in Germany." Three cast iron pine cone weights hang on brass-link chains; a rack strike night shutoff is fitted to the case side.

The movement is a three-train Regula — the benchmark name in Black Forest clock mechanics, found in the majority of German cuckoo clocks produced since 1950 — paired with a Romance Swiss 36-note cylinder music box, a step above the 22-note movements found in standard production clocks. The cylinder is programmed with two traditional Bavarian drinking songs: "Trink, trink, Brüderlein trink" and "In München steht ein Hofbrauhaus" — a thematic pairing matched precisely to the beer garden scene below. Dating from the mid-1980s, this is a vintage example of a clock that retails new in comparable configuration for $900–$1,100. It has been tested and confirmed fully functional across all four movements and chimes.

CONDITION Good overall, with all four movements and chimes in excellent working order — cuckoo call, music, dancers, beer stein figures, and water wheel tested and confirmed operational. Cosmetic wear consistent with age includes light dust in the carved relief areas of the balcony and eaves, and minor scuffing along the green-painted base shelf edge. Mechanics significantly outperform the cosmetic grade.

DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS

• Overall: 15½" H × 16¼" W × 9" D (case only; weights not included in height or depth)
• Maker: Hönes Uhren GmbH, Titisee-Neustadt, Black Forest, Germany — est. 1950
• Movement: Regula three-train, 8-day weight-driven; D. Hönes, Titisee-Neustadt
• Movement plate: N7 72/032 PL28.5 — dancer platform height 28.5mm
• Lubrication spec: Synt.-Oil Clock 859
• Jewels: None (unadjusted)
• Estimated production date: Mid-1980s (Regula "N" letter date code)
• Weights: Three cast iron pine cone weights on brass-link chains
• Animated movements (4): Cuckoo bird, rotating dancing couple, beer stein figures, water wheel
• Bellows: Dual
• Chime schedule: Single strike at half hour; count strike at top of hour
• Musical movement: Romance Swiss Musical Movement, 36-note cylinder, #3892
• Tunes: "Trink, trink, Brüderlein trink" / "In München steht ein Hofbrauhaus"
• Strike silence: Rack strike shutoff switch (Schlagabschaltung) — on/off
• Dial: Black painted; Roman numerals in natural wood tone; "Made in Germany" inscription
• Hands: Carved wood
• Case material: Carved linden wood, dark walnut stain